1. Technical Field
This invention relates to fishing equipment and, more particularly, to fishing rod and outrigger holders for use on boats to hold either the outrigger or the rod or both.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the prior art of sport fishing equipment, it is known to use outriggers to play out trolling lines away from the sides and back of the boat. These outriggers can be moved in line with the hull and in-board of the boat when they are not being used for trolling. Thus, they are adjustable between the trolling position and the storage position.
These outriggers can be mounted on bases which are either fixed to the gunnels or tops of the boats or are fixed and adjustable, in that the outrigger can be swung out outwardly to a second fixed position. Prior art outriggers are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,927,754, 3,008,259, 3,161,390,3,724,791, 5,445,102, and 5,592,893. These patents also show the holders for the outriggers. Many of these patents disclose two means of adjustment: one means of rotating the outrigger and another means of angling the outrigger in a vertical position.
Fishing boats are normally fitted with outrigger and fishing rod holders mounted in the gunnels; as, for example, is shown in the prior art U.S. Pat. No. 5,163,244 (see Prior Art FIG. 1, attached to this application).
A problem with such holders is that they can only be used for one device at a time. Furthermore, they are not adjustable for positioning the outriggers in various inboard, parallel, outboard, and elevated positions.